Fire-escape



'(No Mbde l.)

W. B. HENNING.

FIRE ESCAFE.

Pateiloed Oct tlnirrsn di I nrnnr @rrrns IVI'LLIAM I3. HENNING, OF XVATERLOO, INDIANA.

Fl REE ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 462,081, dated October 2'7, 1891.

Application filed December 14,1888. Serial No. 293,660. (No model.) d

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. IIENNING, a

citizen of the United States, residing in \Vaterloo, in the county of De Kalb and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Iniprovement in lrireEscapes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,elear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, in which Figure l a detail perspective view of my improved fire-escape in position for 0ccupancy. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the position of the parts at the time the weight is imposed thereon; an d Fig. 3 is a detail perspective view of one portion of the fire-escape, showing the same in the open or ungripped position.

Referring by letter to the accompanying, drawings, A designates a metallic sleeve,which is provided at its upper end with a collar having integral projecting lugs or cars, in which or between which the upper. end of the gripping-lever B is pivoted or hinged. Each of the sleeves A is provided near its upper end with a rectangular 1'eccssA',whicl1communicates at its lower end with a longitudinal slot A in the sleeve. Each sleeve A is also provided with a hand-hold I) about midway between its ends, on one side thereof, by which the person deseendin gor ascending may grasp either of said sleeves. A lever B is pivoted or hinged between the lugs or ears on the collar at the upper end of each of the sleeves, and

is provided with a laterally-projecting grip or brake X, which engages, when operated, the rope or wire which forms the way upon which the descent and ascent are made, as the case may be, when the escape is operated.

In fire-escapes of this class as heretofore constructed provision only was made for the descent of a person from a burning building. It is frequently necessary in casualties of the character referred to that ascent shall be accomplished as Well as descent, and that which under ordinary conditions might appear to the casual observer as duplication results in this instance as a unite ry structure, for the reason that the two sleeves are worked alternately, yet in conjunction, to produce the ascent well as to secure descent.

Having thus fullv described my invention, wlrat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is I In a fi re-escape, the combination,witha ropeway, of an uppersleeveprovided with a guideeyc, a gripping-lever, and a rope for actuating the same, of'a lower sleeve provided with a guide-eye,agripping-lever,anda rope for actuating the same, whereby both the ascent to and the descent from a building can be accent.- plished, substantially as set forth.

' WM. ll. IIENNING.

Witnesses:

R. E. IIENNING, OLIVER P. SMITH, 

